Rohtak underpass submerged, again

Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, July 19

The recent spell of rain brought cheer to farmers as it prepared the soil for the sowing of paddy and bajra and helped the sugarcane and cotton crops standing in the fields. On the other hand, it threw life out of gear for town residents and stalled several ongoing development projects.

Exposing the hollowness of the tall claims made by the authorities concerned yet again, the rainwater accumulated in the low-lying areas of the town filled an underpass and posed threat to the rail traffic passing through the town as the earth beneath a stretch of the Rohtak-Panipat railway track caved in due to the accumulation of rainwater in trenches dug for the under-construction elevated railway track project.

“The underpass meant to cross the railway lines on the Circular Road gets filled with water whenever it rains, which causes inconvenience to residents and commuters. The authorities concerned have been repeatedly apprised of the matter, but the situation remains unchanged,” says Vinod, a local shopkeeper.

Naveen Chhikara, assistant divisional engineer (Railways), said the rainwater accumulated in the underpass was being siphoned out and the issue of the earth having caved in beneath the railway track had also been taken care of.

Rohtak ADC Ajay Kumar said the losses caused due to rain were being assessed and measures were being taken to drain out rainwater in coordination with departments concerned.